If the time has finally come for you to move house and start a new life somewhere else, you’ve probably got a lot going on.

In all that confusion and commotion, it is easy to lose track of some important things that need to be done in order to make the transition as smooth and as fast as possible.

Cleaning experts at Big City Maids give us a comprehensive list of things you really need to pay attention to and complete before you are actually and completely ready to move on.

Notify the Mail and Utility Companies

If you will no longer be living at your current address, there are a few things you need to cancel or change. For instance, your mail (if you even expect to use it in today’s day and age) will need to either be canceled completely, or given a forwarding address.

Similarly, all of the utilities that you are paying for, like gas and electricity are most probably listed under your new name. Notify your utility companies that you are moving house, so that they can change or cancel your services. Having to pay for services you aren’t using anymore can easily be avoided.

Organize Your Things for Moving

Well, it’s time to start packing, so start shoving things into boxes, right? You can, but it will be a pain to sort through in the new house when you start unpacking.

Rather than haphazardly loading boxes and bags with stuff, take a step back and organize first. Make sure that you have everything you need. Enough boxes and bags for all of your things, tape to close the boxes, markers to write with, and packing peanuts or bubble wrap for protection.

Once you have everything you need, start packing by the room where new things will be in your new home. It will make it easier for you to unpack everything, and to the moving company to transport everything safely.

Hire a Reputable Moving Company

Moving your whole life from one home to another might be difficult in an emotional sense, but it is doubly so in the actual physical sense.

We tend to have a lot of things, including furniture, electronics, clothes, books, etc. All of it needs to be transported from one place to another. If you value your things (and you obviously do, since you are taking them with you in the move), you should consider only hiring certified and reputable moving companies.

They can get behind their work and will probably have enough quality reviews online from happy customers.

Have a Goodbye Party at Your Old House

No matter how far you are moving, you are leaving behind some memories in the house that you are moving out of.

If the weather is nice, you can have a nice barbecue outdoors, but even if it’s not, a regular indoor party can be fun too.

Give Your House a Thorough Cleaning

When you are selling your home, new owners are probably very excited to move in and start unpacking. However, they can’t do that if you have left them a huge mess to deal with first. Clean the house before you leave.

Even though the house is no longer in your possession and is no longer your issue, it is a civil thing to do to leave a clean house.

After you have taken all or most of your things out, it should be relatively easy to clean the place quickly and effectively. Doing the floors and the windows are probably the most important and visually appealing things you can do, so make sure you don’t skip that.

One final thing you should not forget is your new address and not to drive back to your old house after a particularly hard day at work.